The present invention relates to a method for producing colored paper for use in decorative laminates by applying to the surface of a bleached fibrous cellulosic sheet, a slurry containing a colorant, an opacifying agent and a binder using a slot coater.
The preparation of colored paper for use in laminates previously has involved adding the colorants or pigments to the pulp prior to forming the decorative paper. In the prior processes, adjustments in color of the paper to obtain a color match involve adding an amount of the desired materials to the batch of pulp, running a small amount of paper on the paper machine, and then stopping the machine while a laminate of the papers is prepared for comparison against a standard. If the color is not right, additional pigments are added to the pulp and the procedure is repeated. The starting, stopping and comparison procedures generally take between 15 and 60 minutes per trial. Therefore, in order to obtain a satisfactory color match, the paper machine may be non-operational for long periods of time. Such processes can be very unattractive economically, especially when small orders are involved. Thus, it would be desirable to find a method of achieving good color match which may be reproduced consistently without the down time which is common in the previously known methods.